Finding Love in the Dark
by phoenixjinx
Summary: When Cassandra Nott is forced to marry Quentin Avery she expects him to be nothing but a pureblood death eater extremist. Is Quentin Avery a better person than Cassandra thought? Watch as their time at Hogwarts brings them closer together.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: The Harry Potter Universe belongs to J.K Rowling.**

* * *

Cassandra Nott had been standing for ten full minutes outside the door of her father's study. She had been trying to hear in on her parent's conversation, her ear pressed firmly against the door. She was desperate to hear something, anything. Cassandra could hear voices but they were muffled through the thick wood of the oak door.

Cassandra signed pulling her ear from the door. She started rubbing her ear trying to ease the soreness of it being pressed against the door for a long period of time.

"Cassandra!" shouted Mrs Nott. "Come here, girl, we have the greatest of news!"

Cassandra's heart jumped. She took a deep breath bracing herself for the worst and pushed open the big oak door. She stepped into her father's study, a large room with rows and rows of bookcases filled with books of all shapes and sizes. It was dark in the study. All the study's many windows were blackened out with dark green curtains showing no evidence of the sunny July day outside.

Cassandra paused for a second to take in the smell of old books. She liked books but hated these. They were riddled with dark magic, something that Cassandra thought was unnecessary.

Cassandra moved slowly towards the desk at the back of the study where her father was seated. Her mother was standing next to him her hand on his shoulder.

"Cassandra, my dear, sit down." Mr Nott said gesturing to the seat across him.

Cassandra politely thanked him and gracefully sat down like she had all her life been taught to do. She examined her parent's expressions, they always had permeant sneers implanted on their faces, something Cassandra found highly unpleasant, but right then their sneers had curved into to smirks. Cassandra knew by their expressions and her father's tone this meeting wouldn't go very well for her. Usually, when her parents looked like that they had found a way of adding more 'glory' to the pureblood house of Nott.

"Cassandra, your father and I have exciting news regarding your betrothed." Mrs Nott said beaming with excitement, almost bouncing on her toes, but of course, her lady pureblood manner would never permit that.

Cassandra felt like sinking into her chair and disappearing. She only just a couple months ago narrowly got out of an arranged engagement with Flint, a horrible troll like boy three years older than her. It was just pure dumb luck she got out of that engagement, this time, she feared she wouldn't be so lucky.

Mrs Nott continued, not noticing her daughter's lack of enthusiasm in comparison to her own.

"Quentin Avery. A brilliant young pureblood Slytherin boy in your year, I believe."

Cassandra somewhat remembered the boy. In all their five years in Slytherin house they had never spoken to one another nor did they pay each other any real attention. Even at the several pureblood events, her family had dragged her along too, they were invisible to each other.

They moved in opposite circles. Cassandra spent her time alone browsing through the shelves in the Library at Hogwarts. From what Cassandra could remember of the social life of Slytherin's like Quentin Avery, they hung in dark corners ready to attack mudbloods, blood-traitors, and half-bloods.

Cassandra tried to picture his face in mind, but her memory of him was blurry.

"You should be proud, Cassandra." Her father said watching her carefully. "Not many girls are fortunate enough to be betrothed to the eldest son from a family as rich and pure as the house of Avery."

"I am proud, father," Cassandra said quickly hiding her expression of sadness.

Cassandra knew and had been warned that if she didn't marry her betrothed she would be disowned by the Nott family no questions asked. She had heard it happen before to others, one day a son or daughter of a proud family decides to marry a mudblood or a half-blood or blood-traitor and the next they just disappear from that family never to be seen again. No money or reputation, just a second class wizard, an outcast in pureblood society.

Cassandra didn't want that to happen to her, but also, she didn't want to be trapped with some horrible pureblood extremist Death eater.

"Cassandra?" Mrs Nott asked breaking Cassandra from her thoughts. "Did you hear what I just said? Were you even listening?" Her mother's voice was turning to anger.

"No, mother."

Mrs Nott huffed an annoyed signed.

"What have I told you about listening?" Mrs Nott lectured. "I brought you up to have manners and be a sophisticated young pureblood woman. You'll scare off the boys if you don't listen to them."

"Yes, mother," Cassandra responded trying not to sound bored, she heard this lecture every day but it made no impacted on Cassandra. She highly doubted that you could scare someone off my not listening to them, in Cassandra's opinion there were worst things she could do.

"As I was saying," Mrs Nott said finally getting to the point. "In the month of August before school starts, there shall be a feast during which you shall announce your engagement to Quentin Avery to all the purebloods community."

"Yes, mother," Cassandra replied.

There was a dreaded question tingling on her tongue. She hesitantly spoke it to get it over with. "When shall we be married?"

Her mother's smile grew bigger. She had mistaken this question for the enthusiasm she so wished her daughter would show.

Mr Nott answered her question. "When you come of age and finish Hogwarts, the date is yet to be decided. But don't be disappointed, my dear, you will know soon enough."

Cassandra wanted to cry but kept it together. She smiled like she had just got the best news ever and asked.

"May I please be excused?"

"Why, darling? Doesn't this news call for celebration?" Mrs Nott asked a demanding tone seeping into her voice.

"I just want to write to my friends and tell them the good news." Cassandra lied.

Before her mother could interject Mr Nott said,

"Very well, Cassandra. You may be excused."

Cassandra thanked him and walked out of the study. As soon as she shut the door, she ran as fast as could to her room, slamming her bedroom door with all her might as she entered. She bit her balled fist stifling a scream tasting her own coppery blood.

Cassandra had thought she had prepared herself for this moment. She knew all her life she would be forced to marry a pureblood boy whether she loved him or not. But sometimes you can't prepare yourself for moments like these, the emotion is too overwhelming like a shock to your system that you never saw coming.

Cassandra threw herself on her bed.

"It doesn't seem real." She whispered to herself.

As she laid there for hours it slowly started to feel real. Cassandra felt weak, her future was out of her control and for the first time in her life there was nothing that she could do about it to make it better.


	2. Chapter 2

The wretched day in August came quickly to Cassandra's disappointment. She was wandering around the Nott garden hoping to clear her head of a pounding headache probably brought on by the dread of tonight where she shall announce her engagement to Quentin Avery.

Around her countless flowers and plants almost completely dominated the garden. In the distance, the woods could be seen. The sweet smell of flowers hung in the air on the hot August day. The garden was large enough to wander around for hours and get lost. She regularly stopped to pick pretty flowers to replace the withering ones in her room.

"Cassandra!" She could hear her mother shrilly voice call out nearby.

Cassandra quickly ducked behind a bush next to her out of sight. She had come out to the garden to hopefully avoid her parents. She just wanted to be alone in peace and quiet. To forget about her future. Her mother hated the outdoors so this was the wisest place she could've been on the grounds, the last place her mother would look.

A loud snap occurred and Ursula the house elf appeared before her. Ursula was always able to find her.

"Mistress better get out of the bush! Mistress's dress will be filthy!" squealed Ursula panicked trying to drag Cassandra out of the bush.

Cassandra looked down at her ugly orange dress not caring. It was one of the many horrible tight dresses that she had been brought by her mother and other relatives. It clashed terribly with her golden blonde hair.

Cassandra didn't budge, she instead asked Ursula.

"Is my mother out here?"

"No, Mistress Cassandra." The house elf replied not stopping her pulling. "Mistress Nott in the parlour waiting for Mistress Cassandra. Mistress Nott sent Ursula to get Mistress Cassandra."

"Do I have too…?" Cassandra moaned.

"Mistress Nott said it is a matter of utmost importance," Ursula said her voice squeaking. "Mistress Cassandra mustn't make Mistress Nott mad."

Cassandra followed the house elf inside knowing that in the end she would be forced to go to the parlour by the persistent house elf anyway. Ursula had served the Nott family for a long time, way before Cassandra was born. Ursula liked Cassandra, she was different than the rest of her family, and she was nice to Ursula. Ursula cared a great deal of what happened to Cassandra.

Cassandra dropped her flowers on the way in on a window sill to collect later. Cassandra followed Ursula along the one the house's hallways, stopping in front of the parlour door. Ursula quietly opened the door and held it open for Cassandra as she walked in.

The parlour was a lot like Cassandra father's study except without the books and more decorative. In the parlour the dark silver curtains were drawn, as they always were, blocking out all light except for the light eliminating from the candles around the room. There were several portraits of Cassandra's various family members around the room all heavily dark, gothic. The parlour would have been beautiful if it had been anywhere else but the Nott House.

Cassandra walked over to her mother who was perched on an expensive green Victorian style sofa. Cassandra sat across from her on the matching sofa facing her mother. Cassandra could feel herself sweating. The heat in the room was almost unbearable. She didn't know how her mother could stand it in thick robes. Cassandra was tempted to ask to open a window, but she thought better of it. It would not be any use as her mother would always refuse to pull back the thick curtains to let the air in.

Cassandra sighed to herself bringing her mother's attention on to her.

"Would you like me to tell Ursula to light the fire?" asked Mrs Nott.

"No!" said Cassandra quickly.

Her mother raised an eyebrow at her.

"Thanks," Cassandra added quickly.

"Ursula, fetch us tea." Mrs Nott ordered Ursula. The house elf was standing by the door almost trying to blend in with the decaying green flowery wallpaper.

"Yes, Mistress Nott." Said Ursula apparating with a loud snap.

There was a moment of silence. Mrs Nott was staring at Cassandra with a shark-like grin.

Cassandra clearly uncomfortable asked. "What is it you would like to speak to me about, mother?"

Cassandra already knew the answer. She was just trying to break the silence so she could get this meeting done with and out of this stuffy room. She was already feeling light-headed with the heat.

"I wanted to brief you on the proper rules and manners, in case they have slipped your memory, Cassandra." Mrs Nott said. "We cannot afford any slip-ups tonight."

"Must you, mother?" Cassandra asked pleading. "I'm not going to mess it up. I can recite the rules backwards."

Mrs Nott ignored her. Ursula reappeared in the room with a silver tea tray glistening in the candle light. The house elf hands were shaking under the weight of it. Ursula set it down on a low table in between the two sofas.

Mrs Nott picked up her tea and began lecturing Cassandra on the rules and manners a pureblood woman is expected to follow. Cassandra quickly fazed out. She still looked at her mother like she was paying attention but her mind was somewhere else. She thought of Quentin Avery his face still only a blur in her mind, she would finally be able to make out the fine lines of his face tonight. She wondered if it was the same for him, that she was only a blur in his mind, perhaps he didn't even know she existed up until recently. It wouldn't have surprised her. She knew she wasn't anything much.


	3. Chapter 3

"Come, Cassandra." Her mother ordered breaking her train of thought.

"Where?" Cassandra asked confused.

"To get dressed." Mrs Nott stated as if it was obvious. "We need you looking stunning!"

Mrs Nott walked swiftly out of the parlour. Cassandra trailed behind her.

"I've picked out the most magnificent dress." Mrs Nott beamed walking up the winding staircase, not turning to look at Cassandra.

Cassandra didn't respond. She knew her mother's definition of magnificent could vary from appalling to just okay in Cassandra's taste.

When they reached the door of Cassandra's room Ursula was standing outside the door waiting to open it for them. Ursula opened the door holding it for them as they walked in.

Cassandra's room was large with a high ceiling. Unlike the room in the rest of the house, Cassandra's room had natural daylight flowing through the windows. The curtains were drawn back and the windows were open creating a cool breeze. There was a bed surrounded by hanging silk green curtains with a matching duvet and pillow covers.

The only thing on the walls beside the gold flowery wallpaper was a framed Nott family crest. It took up most of the wall by her dresser. It was always the first thing Cassandra set eyes on when she walked into her room. She hated it. It seemed to jeer tauntingly down at her as if trying to intimidate her. The Nott family crest wasn't put there by her choice but by the choice of her parents. Her mother had cast several charms on the crest to stop Cassandra from to taking it down or covering it out of sight with a sheet.

Cassandra turned her eyes away from the crest to focus on her mother opening her wardrobe. It was a big wardrobe, dark brown almost black that played host too many expensive dresses and robes that she would only wear once to a party and never again. Cassandra always thought it was a terrible waste to have perfectly good robes and dresses pick up dust in her wardrobe.

Mrs Nott with some effort pulled out a ball gown, so puffy that Cassandra's first thought was how she was going to get out the door. Cassandra had to admit the colour was intriguing. The dark green ball gown showed shiny black tones when it hit the light drawing Cassandra's eyes to it.

Mrs Nott laid the ball gown on Cassandra bed. The dress almost ate the bed up entirely. Mrs Nott stood back to admire it.

"I'll let Ursula help you into." Mrs Nott said. "You are going to look radiant in it, darling."

Mrs Nott left to wait outside the room, Ursula replaced her in the room. Ursula helped Cassandra into the dress using magic to lift it. It was too heavy for the tiny house elf's statue to lift. Cassandra felt her hips being weighed down with the weight of the heavy fabric. Ursula tightened the green ribbon corset tightly against Cassandra's rib cage restricting her breathing to short breaths.

Cassandra felt uncomfortable in the dress and doubted she could stand for all of tonight if she wanted to. Ursula went to get Mrs Nott while Cassandra made her way over to her full-length mirror that hung on the wall. She had been dreading how over exposed she would look, most her dresses did to her.

She looked in the mirror, a small smile playing on her lips.

"It's not horrible." whispered Cassandra to herself under her breath.

Cassandra stared at her reflection. The dress was beautiful. But a little less modest than Cassandra had hoped. The dress was strapless and had a low bust. The puffy fabric of the dress made Cassandra feel buried and lost.

"Darling, you look beautiful." Mrs Nott said from behind Cassandra.

Cassandra jumped she didn't hear her come in.

"I didn't mean to frighten you." Mrs Nott said.

Cassandra didn't have to turn around to see Mrs Nott she could see her as she came into view in the reflection of the mirror.

"You are very beautiful, Cassandra." Mrs Nott said softly. "Use it to your advantage."

Cassandra crinkled her nose and stared at herself in the mirror. 'How can I use something that not there to my advantage?' She thought. Cassandra examined her face, her stubby Nott nose, her dark brown eyes almost cold looking. Her face was striking. She had sharp eyebrows only a small bit darker than her hair and a well-structured jawline with angular cheekbones.

Mrs Nott placed her hand on Cassandra's arm and led her over to her dressing table. Cassandra sat down on the velvet stool front of her dressing table.

Cassandra watched her mother play with her golden locks in the mirror of the dressing table.

"An updo maybe?" wondered Mrs Nott aloud pulling Cassandra hair out her face. "That what I wore for my announcement party."

"I would prefer it half up and half down." stated Cassandra knowing that having all her thick golden hair pinned to the top of her head would give her a headache and she would probably end up pulling it down by the end of the night.

Mrs Nott nodded hesitantly running her fingers through Cassandra's long hair. "It would be quite nice like that."

"Ursula," Mrs Nott called the house elf from its position by the door. "Style Cassandra's hair into a formal half up and down hairstyle, make sure to use the silver pins. They will look absolutely darling with Cassandra's hair."

Ursula grabbed a low stool from the corner of the room to stand on and placed it behind Cassandra's chair.

"And for makeup, something intriguing." Mrs Nott ordered. "Something that will draw everyone's eyes to Cassandra's beautiful face."

"Yes, Mistress Nott." replied Ursula getting up the stool.

And with that Mrs Nott left the room.

The house elf used its magic to summon a hairbrush to her and started brushing it through Cassandra's hair.

"Mistress Cassandra has such pretty hair," Ursula said kindly as she delicately ran the brush through Cassandra's hair.

"Thanks, Ursula," Cassandra said.

"Sylvia," Cassandra grinned as her cat appeared from under Cassandra's bed. "I was wondering where you were."

The cat sketched it short furry leg that looked like they had been dipped in chocolate. Sylvia moved over to Cassandra and jumped up on her lap almost ripping the puffy fabric of the ball gown in the process. The cat happily sat on Cassandra's lap and allowed her to pet her pristine fur.

Cassandra loved her cat, her only constant companion at Hogwarts and at home ever since her eleventh birthday. Her parents had taken her to Diagon Alley on her eleventh birthday in hopes of getting an owl to communicate with them while at Hogwarts. Cassandra was eyeing Sylvia their whole trip to the pet store not really paying attention to the choices of owls they were being shown. Sylvia was smart enough to manage to open her cage and stick to Cassandra-like glue. Cassandra refused to leave the store without Sylvia demanding that her parents would allow her cat instead of an owl.

Sylvia had a small lion-like little face with electric blue eyes. Most of her face was almost non-existent since it was paired an oversized body and far too much fur. Sylvia body was a creamy white, her face and the tips of her ear were a chocolatey brown along with her long sweeping tail and legs. Cassandra thought the cat was the cutest thing she had ever set eyes on, but no one else she had met agreed. When Cassandra had something to say Sylvia listened and only responded in a series of looks, no judgment.

Cassandra petted Sylvia in silence while Ursula pinned up part of her hair. Cassandra grew concerned when she saw in the reflection of the mirror tear sliding down Ursula's face and her chest labouring trying to hold in sobs.

"Are you okay?" Cassandra asked worriedly.

Ursula let out a loud whimper followed by loud sobs. Cassandra immediately turned around to face the house elf grabbing her hand.

"What's wrong, Ursula?" asked Cassandra softly.

Ursula took a deep breath and wiped few fresh tears from her cheeks with her long bony fingers.

"Ursula," said Ursula between shaky sobs. "will miss Mistress Cassandra when she becomes Mistress-"

Ursula shrieked letting out the loudest sob yet,

"Avery!"

Cassandra grimaced at the thought of becoming 'Mistress Avery'.

"I think I should be the one crying, Ursula," Cassandra said quietly.

"Why would Mistress Cassandra cry? Mistress Cassandra will leave Ursula and be happy." Ursula said still crying.

Cassandra gripped the house elf's hand tightly. "Happiness can mean different things to different people. I am not one of those girls who will fall head over heels for a man picked for them without their input. Being a wife to a pureblood death eater is not my type of dream or happiness, Ursula. It's not what I want nor is it in my control."

Ursula was silent for a moment.

"I dread the thought of spending the rest of my life standing in that death eater's shadow," Cassandra concluded.

Cassandra's eyes strung from holding back tears that threatened to spring from her eyes.

"Is there anything Ursula can do to make Mistress Cassandra happy?" Ursula asked quietly, silent tears trailing down her face.

"I'm afraid not, Ursula," Cassandra said weakly. "Unless you would like both our heads on a spike."

Ursula swallowed hard at Cassandra's words.


	4. Chapter 4

"Quickly, Cassandra! We do not want to be late to our own engagement announcement do we?" Mrs Nott called to Cassandra who was trailing behind her mother and her father.

They had apparated to the gates of Avery Manor. It was not far from the house but felt like a mile to Cassandra. Cassandra was weighed down by the heavy fabric of her dress and was struggling to walk in her too high heels. Cassandra gathered the front of her dress in her arms in the hope of taking some of the strain off her probably already bruised hips.

"Gracefully now, Cassandra." snapped her mother as Cassandra almost fell head first into a puddle tumbling over her heels.

The lead up to the house was filled with endless lawns of grass that were cut short and parted by a stone path which the Nott family were walking on leading to an enormous grey mansion. Despite the cold evening air, Cassandra felt sweaty and flustered. Cassandra avoided looking at the many statues of purebloods from previous generations of the Avery family. In the distance the sunset was starting to set, leaving an orange purple glow in the sky Cassandra tried to focus her eyes on that. The soft beautiful colours kept her from tensing up.

When they climbed the steps to the mansion Cassandra mother used quick charms to brush away the stray hairs from Cassandra's face and smoothened any wrinkles in her dress.

"Behave." said her father sternly to Cassandra as he knocked on the Avery door.

The door was immediately opened by an ageing house elf. It took Mr and Mrs Nott's cloak and led them into a magnificent ballroom.

The size of the ballroom made Cassandra's eyes widen. It was full of pureblood witches and wizards, all staring at her as she walked through the door.

Cassandra wanted to bolt from the room. Never in all her life had this many people been staring at her at once. Mr Nott sensing it gripped his daughter arm forcefully leading her forward through the crowd. The crowd parted to let them through. Cassandra could hear a few women whispering gossip in the crowd but all eyes were still on her. In the crowd, she could see several people she went to school with.

Cassandra could see who they were walking towards, a family separate from the crowd. She recognised Mrs Avery, a woman Cassandra strongly suspected her mother was jealous of. When they approached her husband was the first to speak.

"Good evening, Grayson and Magnolia." greeted Mr Avery.

"Augustus, Octavia." Mr Nott responded nodding his head stiffly.

"And this must be Cassandra." Mr Avery said his eyes flickering to Cassandra.

"And your son…" said Mr Nott not seeing Quentin Avery.

"Quentin." Said Mr Avery standing aside revealing a sixteen-year-old boy Mr Avery's large frame had been blocking from view.

Cassandra didn't want to look into his eyes, she didn't want to see what they would behold. So she only looked at the lower half of his face his long nose and his mouth. Quentin turned his head ever so slightly to meet Cassandra's eyes. His mouth perked up at the corners into a small smile when their eyes locked. Cassandra did not return the smile. She kept her face unreadable and pulled her eyes away.

"Why don't you two socialise, the announcement will be in a few minutes." Mrs Avery said sweetly nudging her son towards Cassandra her sharp white teeth flashing into a smile.

Quentin stepped closer to Cassandra and offered her his arm. Cassandra hesitated, taking it politely. Quentin led them slowly away from their parents walking around the ballroom.

"Cassie, right?" Quentin asked.

"What?" asked Cassandra, she quickly corrected her manners adding "Excuse me?"

"Cassie. That's your name right?"

"It's Cassandra." Cassandra corrected.

"That's a mouth full," Quentin said. "You look more like a Cassie to me. It sounds nicer."

"Cassie." Cassandra tested the name, hating the sound of it. "It sounds terrible."

"So you're in my year, Cassie?" he asked.

"Yes, but my name is Cassandra," Cassandra said irritably.

"I don't think I've seen you before," Quentin said thinking.

Cassandra was about to respond when Mrs Avery appeared in front of them.

"It's time." She said.

Mrs Avery walked past them gesturing for them to follow. Cassandra involuntarily tightened her grip on Quentin's arm making him look down at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked examining Cassandra's face. "You're kind of pale."

"I'm always pale," Cassandra answered quietly her eyes staring straight ahead as they moved closer to the top of the room.

Quentin wasn't very convinced but didn't press on it. He knew that she didn't want to go through with this. He could see it in her eyes when she looked at him. He didn't want this either. There was nothing he could do for her or for himself. All he could do was grin and bear it.

Mrs Avery led them on top of a highly decorated platform only metres off the floor. Cassandra and Quentin stood in the middle of the platform, every pureblood in the room watching them. Their two sets of parents were standing in the background looking on at their children full of pride.

A silence was called. Quentin got down on one knee. A house elf that Cassandra didn't notice was there before appeared next to Quentin with a satin black pillow in its hands. In the centre of the pillow was a silver ring. It sparkled fiercely in the light.

Everything started to feel slow to Cassandra as Quentin reached for the ring, taking her hand in his. The ring slowly made it way up her ring finger. The metal was cold against her skin. It trapped her finger as it moved down it, stopping dead when it couldn't be pushed any further.

Cassandra stared at the ring hypnotised. It had a massive green emerald in the centre with large diamonds surrounding it giving the appearance of an ugly oversized flower. The band of the ring was decorated with tiny diamonds and emeralds. It was no doubt expensive.

Quentin stood back up and Mr Avery came forward. Making a grand gesture with his hands he said loudly.

"I present to you the future Mr and Mrs Avery."

The ballroom filled with applauds. Cassandra could see out the corner of her eye her mother behind her lapping up the attention with a shark like a smirk on her face.

Cassandra looked up at Quentin properly for the first time. He was looking out over the crowd not at her. She examined his face it was pale like hers, he had blue eyes with a sort of whiteness to them. His hazel hair was straight and shiny in the light. His nose was long but not to the extent of being beaky. His face was well structured. Quentin was attractive but not truly handsome. Cassandra thought his face was nice to look at.

Quentin felt her eyes on him and turned his eyes back to her. He gave her a small smile when their eyes connected. Without thinking, Cassandra returned it with her own shy smile.

Suddenly both of were blinded by a sudden flash of light.

"That was perfect! Smile again you two!"

Cassandra grinned it was her Uncle Theodore with his old fashioned camera. He was the joker of the family and by far Cassandra's favourite family member.

"Theodore, I hardly think that's appropriate." hissed Mrs Nott embarrassed by her brother in law's behaviour.

Mr Nott was in firm conversation with Mr Avery intending to ignore his oddball brother at all costs.

"Calm down, Magnolia. I just want to capture the moment for the happy couple." Uncle Theodore said as he kept flashing.

Quentin, it found quite funny and grinned along with Cassandra.

When Mrs Nott managed to shoo Uncle Theodore away the crowd's attention turned back to their group conservations.

Quentin turned to Cassandra leading her to the ballroom floor.

"Come, I'll introduce you to some people," Quentin said to Cassandra leading her towards a group of people from their school.

"That's not really necessary," Cassandra said quickly.

But it was too late. Quentin had already led Cassandra who was on his arm towards a group of people who Cassandra faintly recognised.

"Cassie, this is my best mate Bertram Mulciber." Quentin introduced. "Mulciber, this is Cassie."

"Cassandra." Cassandra corrected quickly.

She didn't need a bunch of to be death eaters calling her Cassie. It was bad enough that the name seems to have stuck with Quentin. She tried to think of possible names that she could use on Quentin to annoy him. But sadly, she couldn't think of anything as bad as Cassie.

"Just call me Mulciber," Mulciber said. "I have no clue what my parents were on when they named me."

Quentin smirked and Cassandra gave a half-hearted laugh to be polite.

"And this is," said Quentin turning a bit towards the next person or in this case people. "the Black sisters."

Cassandra eyes filled with hatred as her eyes met the familiar cold black ones of her least favourite Black sister.

"Narcissa, Andromeda and Bellatrix." He said pointing to each of them as he said their name.

Cassandra hid the hatred her eyes behind a pleasant smile. Bellatrix Cassandra had met before on multiple occasions. Bellatrix had stolen books from her, tried to humiliate her and use foul hexes on her.

"Charmed," Bellatrix said with a wicked smirk.

'I wouldn't be smirking with a head of messed up hair like yours.' Cassandra wanted to say but bit her tongue. She made her smile grow wider and returned the greeting.

Narcissa and Andromeda greeted her in a similar fashion.

"This is-" Quentin started to introduce Cassandra.

"Cassandra." Cassandra cut cross him.

She did not need the Black sister's calling her Cassie.

Quentin didn't seem to mind Cassandra intrusion, he just smiled down her.

Narcissa and Bellatrix's eyes drawled into her Andromeda looked rather bored.

Cassandra shifted uncomfortably still maintaining her grip on Quentin's arm.

An extremely tall cruel looking man appeared behind Bellatrix followed another, almost identical in looks.

"This is Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange." Quentin introduced. "And that's Lucius Malfoy."

Quentin said gesturing to the boy with a pointed face that had just shown up. Lucius Malfoy linked his arm through Narcissa's and flicked his glossy long blonde hair out of his face.

"This is-"

"Cassandra" Cassandra said automatically.

The boys raised their eyebrows at her and once again Quentin took no notice smiling down at her.

"And that thing over there is Wilkes," Quentin said pointing to a small rat-like boy shuttling around them trying to grab food from the trays being carried around by house elves. The house elves looked frighteningly at the boy.

"So that's just about everyone who should be here," Quentin said scanning the room. "Wait, over there is Evan Rosier," he said pointing to a boy across the room that appeared to be flirting with a group of older women.

"Quentin and Cassandra." Mrs Avery said happily as she walked over to them. "I have so many people I want to introduce you to."

Her high skill voice sounded like poison to Cassandra leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Cassandra did everything she could to hold her urge to grimace or eye roll.

Cassandra looked up at Quentin to see his features masked with seriousness. She could tell he was feeling the same way she was by the look in his eyes.

Cassandra brightened for a second when she could see not too far away Uncle Theodore heading towards them, possibly to save her like he had done countless times at other balls. But her mother stepped in his way, blocking his path thrusting a drink in his hand and instructing him to do something.

Cassandra let out a small sigh of distress as they were being led person to person by Mrs Avery. If she could barely remember the names of Quentin's friends how was she supposed to decipher these?

But thankfully she knew a lot of them already as her father's colleges (death eaters) and mother's tea party guests. She wasn't particularly fond of any of them. She didn't really remember all the people she greeted that night, they all seemed to stick together in a massive blur inside her mind.

After being introduced to about ten guests or so she was saved by Quentin.

"Mother?" Quentin said in a serious tone as Mrs Avery led then to the next guest.

"Yes, dear?"

"May we please be excused outside?"

Mrs Avery thought for a moment and decided hesitantly. "Yes, but only for a minute."

'Finally.' thought Cassandra. Her feet were killing her and she felt like she was about to drop. Her dress weighed more than her school bag.

Quentin and Cassandra stepped out into the cool night air in the Avery's garden. It was a lot like the Nott garden in size except all the flowers were writhed and dead. The garden was really just a stretch of lawn, like the front garden cut perfectly. In the distance not too far away, a lake sat sparking in the appearing moon.

Cassandra released Quentin's arm freeing herself. She wanted some space to take in the rush of night air that was hitting her lungs, clearing herself of the stuffy ballroom air.

Quentin watched her as she stepped away from him letting his arm fall to his side. He was a small bit disappointed that she wasn't by his side anymore. He liked her presence next to him. Quentin thought she was beautiful and striking. He liked the way she didn't throw it in his face like other girls who looked pretty enough did.

He watched her see travelled further and further away from him. Quentin walked across the lawn after her.

Cassandra could suddenly feel Quentin next to her.

"Need any help?" Quentin asked awkwardly.

She flushed as she continued walking with her leg shaking in her heels, her back hunched over trying to carry the front of her heavy dress. Her head was aching her, the silver pins in her hair dug into her skull. She longed to take them out of her hair.

"I doubt there is anything you can do."

"I could carry you?"

Cassandra blushed at that thought, Quentin laughed. Cassandra hoped he didn't see her blush in the dark.

"No thanks, you'd probably drop me." Cassandra joked gently.

"I take that as an insult!" Quentin exclaimed humour alive in his voice. "I am the best chaser there is on the Slytherin quidditch team. I have never dropped a quaffle in my life. I'm not going to drop you."

Cassandra laughed in what felt like forever.

"There is a big weight and size difference between me and a quidditch ball."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Quentin said jokingly pulling Cassandra towards him.

He picked her up bridal style in his arms.

"Quentin!" Cassandra tried to sound mad but a smile kept creeping into her face.

Quentin set her back down, Cassandra held onto his shoulders shaking in her high heels while she tried to balance herself.

"Merlin, Cassie. How are you even standing in those?" Quentin asked bewildered gesturing to her shoes.

"Magic?" Cassandra suggested weakly.

"Quentin! Cassandra!" Mrs Avery was heading toward them at a swift pace.

Cassandra smoothly slipped her hands from his shoulders taking his arm once again.

Their smiles dropped, they were soon inside the packed ballroom again having meaningless polite conversations with people Cassandra thought belonged in Azkaban.

Slowly the end of the night came. The Nott's were the last to leave. Cassandra stood with Quentin her eyes drooping. She badly wanted her bed. She struggled to keep her head upright. It threatened to fall onto Quentin's shoulder.

When the Nott's finally made it home Mrs Nott had a lot say about Mrs Avery and the wedding plans. Cassandra really didn't care. She slipped out of sight to her room kicking off her ridiculous heels and calling on Ursula to help her out of her dress.

She then took down her hair and cleaned her face of the now cakey makeup. Changing into her pyjamas she fell into bed her last thought before she went to sleep was of her ring. It was getting caught in her bedsheets much to her annoyance.


	5. Chapter 5

A couple of days later Cassandra was standing on platform 9 and ¾ saying goodbye to her mother. She had come early to the station to find a compartment all to herself like she did every year so she could read and look out at the view in silence.

She finally got away from her mother and found her usual compartment at the back of the train, no bothers her there. Sylvia immediately upon entering the compartment huddled in her usual dark corner, disappearing into a ball of fur.

Cassandra sat down next to the window and relaxed. Her compartment wasn't on the side of the train that was facing the platform. All she had was a stone wall to look at, no distractions. Putting her bag on her lap she looked through it. It was filled with sweet wrappers from her previous years on the Hogwarts express that she didn't bother to take out. Two books she put in that morning sat amongst the wrappers, "An Advance Guide to Transfiguration" and a muggle book that she found rather interesting. Her school robes were neatly folded inside the bag next to the books.

She pulled out "An Advance Guide to Transfiguration." A book she had got for her sixth year. She loved Transfiguration and got an Outstanding in it in her Owls. She got an Outstanding in Charms and Study of Ancient Runes too. She also got Exceeds Expectations in Potions and in Care of Magical Creatures, Acceptable in Defence against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Astronomy and a Poor in History of Magic.

She sat back and flipped through the book's pages.

The train soon lurched forwards into the countryside of Britain towards Hogwarts. Cassandra smiled excitedly to herself. She couldn't wait to go back.

The compartment door was suddenly pushed open making Cassandra jumped with fright.

"There you are, Cassie," Quentin said grinning. "I've been looking all over of you."

Quentin wasn't alone. Mulciber and Evan Rosier were with him having a loud animated discussion about how to steal a beater's bat during a quidditch match. Quentin sat down in-between Sylvia and Cassandra. Mulciber and Evan Rosier took the seat across from them.

Cassandra grimaced at the nickname but she supposed that she would have to get used to it. He was pretty mindset on calling her that.

Her book was opened loosely between her two arms almost laying on her lap. She examined the scene. She had never shared a compartment with other students. Cassandra thought it was weird that Quentin was actually looking for her, what was he expecting?

"What are you reading?" asked Quentin with mild interest as he took the book from her unsuspecting hands.

Her focus turned back to Quentin who was reading the title holding her place with his index finger.

"An Advance Guide to Transfiguration." They both said in sync.

Cassandra blushed and scolded herself in her mind for being such a girl. Quentin grinned at her handing it back.

"You must be a real bookworm to be reading a book before the school year even begins," Quentin commented.

"I'm not a bookworm." Cassandra protested irritably. "I just like books and Transfiguration."

"You got into sixth year Transfiguration?"

Cassandra nodded.

"You must be a bloody genius!"

Cassandra felt the tips of her ears turn red.

"I got a Poor in it. Mulciber, Evan," Quentin beckoned to his friends silencing their conversation. "Cassie got a- what did you get?"

"An O," said Cassandra the red tips of her ears spreading to her face with all the sudden attention.

Quentin's eyes widened at the word O. He continued.

"She got an Outstanding in Transfig."

"I barely scraped Acceptable." Evan Rosier said.

"I failed," Mulciber said proudly. "But I pass where it counts."

They all laughed cruelly at the last part. Cassandra didn't, she shifted uncomfortably and hid behind her book again.

Evan Rosier and Mulciber dived back into their raging conversation about quidditch.

Cassandra was into her book once again when Quentin tapped her arm.

"What?"

"Want to play Exploding Snap?"

Cassandra raised her eyebrow.

"You look more like a Wizard's Chess girl," Quentin said thinking out loud.

Cassandra bit her lip in hesitation and answered,

"I actually prefer Gob-stones."

"That then," Quentin said the points of his lips curling up into a grin.

They played Gob-stones borrowing Evan Rosier's set since their sets were in their trunks. Cassandra enjoyed playing gob-stones with him, it was fun. He was more competitive than she was, it showed in his eyes. His laughter also showed in his eyes. He was able to poke fun at anything even the inanimate Gob-stones pieces. He could easily make Cassandra laugh.

Quentin was ahead in the game when the trolley lady showed up. Quentin offered to buy Cassandra some sweets from the trolley. Cassandra declined finding it distasteful for him, a boy she didn't even know, paying for her.

More time passed and Cassandra was leading in the game. Cassandra noticed that out the window nearly all the sun's light was gone from the sky and it was getting steadily darker. Cassandra's brown eyes slipped her watch. The dainty silver watch's pointy arrows told her they were going to arrive at Hogwarts in less than 15 minutes.

"I have to go and change into my uniform," Cassandra told Quentin standing up and putting her bag over her shoulder.

"I'll come with you." He said standing and grabbing his own bag.

Cassandra's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You don't have to," Cassandra said stepping out into the corridor of the Hogwarts Express.

"I do," Quentin said. "I have to change too."

He indicated to his tailored green and black robes with his Avery family chest pinned to his chest.

"Evan," Quentin called back into the compartment. "Mulciber, you coming?"

"What?" asked Mulciber who was discussing some kind of a plan with Evan.

"Do you want to come with me and Cassie to get dressed?" Quentin said slowly as if talking to a child who couldn't speak English.

"I'm in no rush to change into those peasant clothes." Mulciber sneered.

"Suit yourselves," Quentin said unfazed by Mulciber's comment.

Cassandra was starting to see her expectations of this group coming to life. Mulciber seemed to have a mean spirit and Evan was just the same. Quentin seemed so used to it all that he didn't even notice the sour attitude dripping from Mulciber's voice.

Evan wondered aloud. "Wouldn't Salazar Slytherin have changed the uniform if it was really that peasant like?"

Mulciber blinked but quickly retorted, he shut down the thought. "Stop thinking like such a mudblood! The Slytherin uniforms were better back in his time."

"I'm not a mudblood Mulciber! You fu-"

Quentin closed the compartment down shut muffling the rest of the argument.

Cassandra walked beside Quentin as they walked towards the front of the train where the bathrooms were.

"You friends aren't exactly the nicest of people," Cassandra said playing with a strand of her hair.

"No Slytherin is."

"You are-"

"Not really," Quentin said with a smirk.

Cassandra about to argue his statement when Quentin changed the topic.

"Who are your friends anyway?"

Cassandra cringed. She wasn't embarrassed that she had no friends she knew that she was better off way from the prissy Slytherin girls in her house. She was perfectly happy with her books as her companions. If she said that he might have looked at her as if she was crazy or had laughed in her face.

"I don't know." She said unintelligently. It was the first thing out of her mouth and sounded like a grunt.

She was luckily saved from entering further conversation on the matter because they had already reached the bathrooms.

Cassandra went into the ladies' room before Quentin could offer her an awkward goodbye.

Cassandra instantly regretted it once she opened the door and stepped inside. The four cubicle bathroom stunk of expensive perfume making her eyes water. Of course, she knew even without examining the crowd that it was a bunch of Slytherins girls. They were pushed against the mirror trying to touch up their makeup and fix their robes into position.

Cassandra usually didn't come here to change she usually did it in the privacy of her compartment. But that wasn't an option right now.

She was about to quietly slip out when someone called out to her.

"Cassie? Isn't it? Join us."

It was Narcissa Black in the middle of her gang of 3rd years. She was at the mirror blotting her lipstick to perfection.

Cassandra slowly went over to Narcissa to correct her.

"It's Cassandra."

Narcissa gave her a small smile. "Sure."

It was hard to hear anything. The noise in the bathroom from all the girls gossiping made speaking feel like whispering.

Narcissa gave her a curious look. Narcissa was beyond her years in looks, the way she talked and the way she wore makeup and clothes.

"Aren't you going to do your makeup?"

Cassandra fought the urge to roll her eyes. She had said it like was a life or death thing like breathing. Cassandra hated the stuff. She couldn't apply it correctly only Ursula's steady hand could do that. When she was at Hogwarts she normally went around with a natural look, spots and all.

"I think I'm fine." Cassandra looking at herself in the mirror the makeup that her mother told Ursula put on earlier was still there rubbing off and fading in places.

Narcissa looked at her as if she had said the most unusual thing in the world.

Cassandra produced her wand and with a quick spell, the makeup vanished revealing her pasty white skin and the other things girls might consider imperfections.

Bellatrix emerged from one of the cubicles. Cassandra took that as a sign to go into one of the cubicles and change.

Bellatrix and several others watched her as she entered the stall and locked the door. She quickly pulled out her school uniform and changed into her it. She almost fell over as she tried to pull up her silk black tights. Finally, she was ready for Hogwarts. She shoved her normal clothes into her bag and left the stall only stopping to adjust her silver and green tie in the mirror. The Slytherin girls were still there gossiping about everything. Cassandra left quickly so that they were just a blur out of the corner of her eye.

Quentin was waiting outside for her in his uniform. He was leaning against the wall with his hands in his robe pockets.

He smirked as she came outside looking her up and down.

"You look nice." He complemented.

Cassandra blushed and walked ahead of him trying to conceal it from him.

Quentin had meant it. He thought she was beautiful but he couldn't tell her that, not yet. It might scare her away. The green and black robes looked nice on her. The uniform hung well on her showing off her curvy figure.

He couldn't stop looking at her as she walked ahead of him. It was like that earlier on the train and when they went out for air at their engagement party. He tried to draw his eyes away from her in fear of annoying her or making her uncomfortable.

'How didn't I notice her before?' Quentin thought. The words nearly came out mouth but he covered it with a cough.

Cassandra turned to look at him. He smiled at her and she smiled back at him.


	6. Chapter 6

The feast at Hogwarts had begun straight after the long sorting. Cassandra was sitting next to Quentin and his friends. He had insisted that she sit with them. Cassandra usually sat wedged between the fourth years and the seventh years towards the back of the table, hidden from sight and able to read during the sorting under the table without looking rude or attracting any attention to herself.

She had to admit that sitting with Quentin was quite nice. He kept the atmosphere around their spot at the Slytherin table alive in the otherwise dead sorting ceremony. He whispered the strangest things to her pointing out odd funny thing making her cover her mouth to hide a laugh.

'Maybe forever with Quentin won't be so bad.' She thought but then the little voice in the back of her head intervened

'Do you really know him?'

Just then another first year was sorted into Slytherin. Mulciber made some foul comment about the boy's mother. Cassandra pretended not to hear it, the rest of the surrounding group snorted in laughter between their clapping. Cassandra continued to look straight ahead clapping focusing her eyes on the headmaster. Professor Dumbledore was looking at the Slytherin table. Cassandra thought he was looking directly at her as if she was out of place there or it was out of the ordinary for her to be sitting there. He looked at her with sympathy in his eyes behind his half-moon spectacles, of course, that could've been just her imagination.

Cassandra looked away and took a moment to examine the group she was sitting with. Mulciber and Evan Rosier were still there sitting across from her and Quentin. Next to Evan Rosier was Lucius Malfoy who had joined them at the carriages along with the horrible Bellatrix Black. Wilkes a small rat like fourth year nibbling on his fingernails sat at the edge of the group. Cassandra had a hunched that he was only welcomed here because of his family's status.

Barty Crouch Jr was also there but once again only on the outskirts of the group. There was also a couple of other boys Cassandra didn't know sitting with them. As Cassandra looked around she could see that she and Bellatrix were the only girls in the heart of the group the rest the Slytherin girls were sitting in groups of just girls away from the group but not so far away that they couldn't fawn over a few of the better-looking boys.

When the sorting ended Professor Dumbledore stood behind a golden owl-shaped podium.

"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" he said brightly, his blue eyes shining and his lips curling into a smile.

Cassandra felt her own lips curling into a small smile. The old man seemed so kind and bubbly. Cassandra liked him but would never admit it. All her life she had been told tales of Albus Dumbledore and how much darkness he had brought on her family and the rest of the purebloods. He was a villain in the pureblood society's eyes. Cassandra was taught this as a fact and rule, she followed this fact and rule until her first year when she got lost in the castle. Bellatrix and couple of other Slytherins passed her and shoved her hard making the heavy pile of book in her arms fall to the ground.

Dumbledore had found her and helped her pick up her books. He showed her to her class. All while smiling with twinkling eyes behind his half-moon spectacles. She still had her suspicions but she also had her doubts about those suspicions.

Cassandra turned her head slightly to see what Quentin was doing. He wasn't listening to Professor Dumbledore's welcome speech instead, he was looking at Mulciber trying to decipher what he was mouthing to him.

Mulciber's dark eyebrows were nearly up to his hairline and his mouth stretching wide trying to mouth words to Quentin. Evan was in silent giggles next to him so was Barty Crouch and Wilkes everyone else who had gotten the joke had cruel smirks.

Quentin finally getting it smirked. He looked at Cassandra who was raising an eyebrow at him wondering what was going on.

But there was no time for him to let her in on the cruel joke as Dumbledore had said the final words of his speech and the feast appeared before them.

He leant into her and murmured to her.

"I'll tell you later."

His breath was warm against her ear making her cheeks heat up. The lowness of his voice made her shiver for reasons she couldn't explain.

She nodded trying to control the hot blush that was starting to appear on her cheeks. She focused on cutting the piece of chicken she had put on her plate letting her hair fall to cover her face.

The group was off into some ramble about Quidditch try-outs next week when Cassandra felt someone nudge her hard in the ribs. She turned around to see who it was, it was a girl part of the group of girls sitting nearby.

Cassandra recognised her as part of the Crabbe family but couldn't remember her first name. She was big boned and had her brown hair pulled back into a bun on the top her head. Cassandra had seen her around and thought she was quite scary, but looking at her now her eyes looked surprisingly harmless.

"Hi," Cassandra said trying to be polite.

"Narcissa has asked me to tell you to come and join us." She explained.

Cassandra lowered her head a bit. She did not need Narcissa watching out for her, she was perfectly fine on her own. She gave the girl a small smile and accepted because she felt completely out of place in the midst of this group.

She gently put her hand on Quentin's arm to get his attention.

"I'll see you back in the common room. I'm going to sit with Narcissa and her friends." She said quietly to him.

"Sure thing, Cassie." He said to her gently touching her hand on his arm.

She pulled it back and stood up quickly at the shock of him touching her. She instantly regretted it because she realised how nice it felt.

She joined Crabbe as they walked towards the front of the table where the familiar group of gossipy girls were stationed.

"Cassandra." Narcissa greeted. She was sitting at the centre of the group.

"Narcissa." Cassandra returned sitting down with Crabbe.

Narcissa smiled and introduced a few girls. "Louisa Crabbe." She indicated to the girl who led Cassandra to the group.

"Carrietta Bulstrode." She said pointing to the girl beside Louisa. "And Flora Greengrass." She indicated to the girl beside her.

Cassandra greeted them, she knew girls to be third years like Narcissa. She was a bit embarrassed to be a sixth year sitting with third years.

"You're betrothed to Avery over there?" asked Louisa.

Cassandra nodded.

Flora Greengrass sighed in a dramatic fashion. "If only I were that lucky! My parents are planning to betroth me to Reginald Parkinson, he's only the second born boy."

Narcissa shook her head in pity.

Cassandra having not the faintest clue how to respond to this, played with her ring. A habit she had somehow gotten into.

"Is that your ring?" Carrietta Bulstrode asked pointing to Cassandra's left hand.

Carrietta had caught a glimpse of the emeralds and diamonds on the ring as they reflected the candle light in the Great Hall.

"Yes," Cassandra said putting her hand fully on the table so it was in full view.

The girls leant forward to see the ring detail. They stared at it for a couple of seconds before making various awing noises and comments.

They gushed over Cassandra's ring and tried to get wedding plans out of Cassandra until Dumbledore started to shoo the students off to bed.

Cassandra soon found herself finally separated from the group of girls and in the middle of the crowds of students rushing out of the Great Hall trying to make it back to their common rooms.

Cassandra liked it like this, it was like this every year at Hogwarts, she was alone and paid no attention to. She could think.

When she finally made it back to the Slytherin common room she had her mind set on going up to her dorm pulling the curtains around her and reading before falling asleep.

Quentin and his friends were sitting on the couch and armchairs by the fire. By the time she got there the first years had already been given the prep talk and sent to bed.

Quentin stood up to meet her. She pretended not to see him moving towards the girl's dorms, but he quickly matched her pace and smiled at her.

She couldn't help but smile back.

"I thought I missed you." He said.

"You didn't."

There was a silence Cassandra tried to think of something to say but nothing was coming to mind.

"Want to sit with me?" Quentin asked.

Cassandra hesitated. There was a part of her that wanted to, but then she heard the group's loud laugh and decided against it.

"No thanks, I'm pretty tired." She said.

"I'll see you at breakfast then, Cassie," Quentin said with his usual grin.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Quentin woke up before everyone else in the Slytherin boy's dorm. The only sounds he could hear were the snoring from the six other boys he shared the dormitory with.

Quentin reached over to his bedside table lighting his lamp. Night and day in the dorm never had much of a difference in the light, it was always dark. The light in the light room was murky turquoise the same colour as the water in the Black Lake where in the depths the Slytherin dorms reside.

That was colour he saw the room painted in each morning he had woken up at Hogwarts. Depressing, he had thought at first, but gradually he had gotten used to the colour and now barely noticed it.

Rubbing his eyes he stretched and climbed out of bed. He cursed as he looked at the clock it was four o'clock in the morning. 'At least three hours to go until breakfast' He thought. He sighed at the thought. He was wide awake and not in the mood to lie in his bed bored out of his mind for the next three hours, so he decided to do what he usually did, take a walk around the castle.

But first, he went into the bathroom and had a shower. He wasn't worried about waking the other boys in his dorm. They could sleep through everything and anything. The hot water felt good on his skin removing the lazy feeling of sleep from his skin.

After drying himself, he pulled on his school robes. He wiped the fog from the mirror that had gathered from the steam the shower produced to see his reflection. He straightened his green and black striped Slytherin tie in the mirror and pinned his family's crest to the front of his robes on the opposite side to his Slytherin crest. He took a moment to stare at this family crest in the mirror as it glinted in the small bit of light in the bathroom. Then his brushed his hair, making his hazel hair sit flat on his head.

Satisfied with his appearance, he felt the bathroom and headed to the common room. He didn't leave a note or wake anyone to tell them where he was going they were well used to his nighttime wandering and often made a joke of it.

There was usually no one in the common room at this time, but that morning was different. Quentin almost missed it, out of the corner his eye he spotted it or her. In fading candlelight huddled in an armchair in the corner was a girl half dozing with a book.

"Cassie?" Quentin asked.

Cassandra hadn't heard anyone come into the common room. She was fighting back sleep that was making her eyes unfocused and causing her head to nod off to one side. Quentin's voice snapped her out of it. At first, she had thought his voice had come from a distant dream inside her head. After all, she has been thinking about him a lot the past couple of hours.

Quentin almost didn't recognise her. Her hair was unkempt and hanging to one side, out of her way, but still hiding her face a great deal. She was wrapped in a worn looking mint green night robe.

"Quentin?" Cassandra yawned clapping her hand over her mouth to hide it. "What are you doing here?"

Quentin came towards her sitting in the seat next to her. Her eyes followed his meeting them as he sat down. Her eyes were a violent brown and bloodshot from no doubt hours of reading.

"I couldn't sleep," Quentin answered.

"Nightmares?"

Quentin felt the corners of his mouth perk up, she was teasing him.

"No, just couldn't sleep. What about you, nightmares?" He teased back.

"No, I wanted to read without having to listen to heavy breathing." She said closing her book on her lap.

Cassandra absent-mindedly touched her hair straight away feeling a knot in it. She turned her eyes away from Quentin suddenly realising what a mess she looked. She could still feel his eyes on her making her cheeks heat up with colour. She hugged her nightgown closer to herself conscious of her choice of clothing.

"You look tired," Quentin commented breaking the silence.

"I'm not," Cassandra said, she wasn't lying she didn't feel tired now that Quentin was here.

Quentin smiled like she was lying.

"I'm going for a walk, want to come?"

"Yes," Cassandra said before she could even think about.

Quentin eyebrows raised at her forwardness and his grin grew.

Cassandra looked down at her and her common sense struck her.

"I'm not dressed." She said weakly.

"I don't mind," Quentin said standing up and reaching for her hand.

"I do," Cassandra stated.

"Then I'll wait for you," Quentin said. "As long as you promise you won't take forever."

"I'm not that type of girl," Cassandra promised him, but as soon as she reached her dorm she became that type of girl.

She took a look in her mirror and nit-picked at her appearance something she never did. There wasn't time for a shower or a total makeover, so she threw on her school robes, brushed away the knots in her hairs and splashed water on her face in hopes of looking more awake.

Cassandra pulled on her shoes. Then she quickly headed back to the common room. Quentin was waiting for her like he promised.


	8. Chapter 8

Light from the morning sun gradually began to appear and brightened the corridors at Hogwarts. Quentin and Cassandra were walking through the corridors discussing their subjects and telling their various stories about school.

Quentin every couple of seconds stole a glance at Cassandra. The small bit of light that flowed in through the windows hit her golden hair giving it a white shine. Quentin every now and then would catch her looking up at him, but then she would quickly turn away and dart her eyes to another part of the corridor pretending to look at something else.

"What time is it?" Cassandra suddenly asked Quentin.

Quentin's eyes brightened at her voice then he lifted his wrist to check the time on his silver and black watch.

"It's about a half-an-hour till breakfast," Quentin answered.

Cassandra blinked, it didn't feel like she had been out with Quentin that long, maybe an hour at the most. Cassandra stopped walking and turned to Quentin who had stopped with her.

"Maybe we should get back to the dungeons," Cassandra said hesitantly. "Won't your friends be looking for you?"

Quentin grinned. "I think they can quite well manage without me. Besides, it's better with you."

The last part came out quiet and slow. Cassandra could feel her cheeks heat up as he gently brushed his hand against hers. It lasted for a second before he took it away again. The spot on her hand where he had brushed it felt warm. She secretly wished he had never taken it way, she wouldn't mind it, in fact, she would've liked it.

Quentin stood closer to her staring into her eyes. Quentin admired her wide dark eyes. He couldn't find anything he disliked about them. He could hear his heart beat faster and louder in his ears as Cassandra's eyes stared back into his.

Cassandra could feel the heat rising up from her neck. Her heart felt tight in her chest making her breathe deeper and faster. She just wanted him to touch her again, she couldn't explain why. It was an unfamiliar feeling and desire that made her only think of Quentin, his blue eyes, his touch and his mouth.

They both broke from their trances when they heard the rumble of voices coming up the corridor. Cassandra tried to look anywhere but at Quentin, her eyes settling on her shiny black shoes. She could see Quentin step back from her out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, good morning Mr Avery and Miss Nott!" boomed the familiar voice of Professor Slughorn.

Cassandra could hear Quentin let out an irritated sigh.

"Good morning, Professor." Quentin and Cassandra replied.

Professor Slughorn was walking with one the Slytherin prefects who eyed them suspiciously. Cassandra recognised her as one the most gossipy students Slytherin has probably ever seen. The prefect took the opportunity of Slughorn stopping to greet Cassandra and Quentin to escape by walking quickly away.

"Shouldn't you two be moving towards the Great Hall? Not sneaking around the corridors at this hour."

"We were just going there, sir," Quentin replied fake sweetness filling his voice.

"I've been told of your betrothal. Absolute wonderful news! Your parents must be delighted with the match. And I must say you do make a lovely couple!"

Cassandra and Quentin quietly waited for him to finish.

"I trust you shall be bringing Cassandra to my next gathering?" he asked Quentin beginning to walk away.

He didn't wait for an answer. "Wonderful!"

When Slughorn was a safe distance away Quentin turned to Cassandra.

"Let's go to the Great Hall before he comes back."

Cassandra nodded and suddenly a grin flashed on her face.

"What?" asked Quentin, he could feel his own smile creeping back into his features.

"Aren't you going to ask me to the Slug Club?"

"Well, not right now… when you least expect it." he teased, his mouth against her hair. "The best quidditch tactic is to catch them by surprise."

Cassandra couldn't help but giggle. "I'd like to see you try."

Quentin gently linked his arm with Cassandra's pulling her close to his side. Then they started walking in the direction of the Great Hall.

"You just wait, Cassie." He said rubbing her arm.

Cassandra leant into him as they walked leaving no space between them.


	9. Chapter 9

When Cassandra and Quentin had finally made it to the Great Hall half of Slytherin house was already seated at their house table in the Great Hall eating their breakfast. Professor Slughorn was working his way from the top of the Slytherin table down handing out various schedules chattering loudly to the students.

Quentin scanned the table, the boys from his dorm hadn't made it down for breakfast yet they always left it to the last minute.

Quentin led Cassandra to where Lucius and a couple of other Slytherin boys were sitting. There Barty Crouch Jr was eagerly listening to a conversation between Lucius and another Slytherin pawing at his cereal with a spoon.

Cassandra almost sighed at the thought of spending her breakfast listening to Quentin's friends making rude conversation and laughing at offensive jokes. She thought maybe she could escape to Narcissa's group of friends they were as decent as Slytherin got nowadays, but she didn't want to rely on the group of third years too heavily.

"Hey, guys." Quentin greeted as he sat down near them. Then he motioned from Cassandra to sit next to him.

Cassandra gave them a false smile as her greeting, a false smile that had been perfected over many years of tea parties and pureblood gatherings.

The group of boys greeted him in respond then promptly returned to their discussion.

"My father promised to get me the new Nimbus if I make the team this year." Lucius Malfoy said smugly to the boy seated across from him.

"The comet is way better, Malfoy, and I've already got it." the boy retorted equally as smug.

Cassandra bored, reached for some toast and placed it on her plate and started to butter it.

"The comet, that old ghastly thing…"

To Cassandra's surprise, Quentin turned to her losing interest in the debate unfolding in front of him.

"They have this argument every day no matter what the broom," Quentin said piling some food on the gold plate in front of him.

"What's the point of that?" Cassandra asked.

"It's basically a competition of whose father is the richest," Quentin explained. "I used to do that but it got boring after second year."

"The girls in my dorm have conversations like that all the time," Cassandra said exasperatedly. "I think I've heard enough about the price and quality of clothes and hairstyles to last me a lifetime."

"I can totally see you getting involved in that." Quentin laughed.

Cassandra laughed "No way, I either go to the common room if it's after curfew or if it's before curfew I hide out in the Library."

"Nice, smile, by the way, Cassie," Quentin said shoving some bacon into his mouth.

"What do you mean?" Cassandra frowned.

"The way you smiled second ago," Quentin said swallowing. "It was pretty. The other one the plastic, angry one that you gave the guys when we came to the table was just creepy."

"No, it wasn't." Cassandra protested remembering all the time when she was little practising smiling in the mirror, it looked perfectly perfect then.

Quentin shook his head and grinned at her. "When I talk to you and you smile, this side of your mouth," He said pointing to the left side of her lips. "Goes up more than the other side."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow, unsure how to react. Half of her wanted to take this the wrong way and go back to eating her toast while the other half, the recently discovered half, of her, wanted to blush madly and giggle at the thought of Quentin noticing her smile.

"And," He continued. "You don't show all your teeth which makes your mouth kind of heart shaped-" Quentin suddenly stopped realising he was unloading too much detail about Cassandra's smile. Quentin embarrassed rubbed the back of neck nervously. Cassandra's eyes were on him waiting for him to continue.

"Your natural smile makes you look prettier." He concluded shutting his mouth to stop himself from blabbering about how beautiful he thought she was either way.

Cassandra took a second to realise what he had actually said. She could feel her lips curling into a smile as a response.

"I don't anyone has said that to me before," Cassandra said.

"It's true," Quentin said.

"Thanks, Quentin," Cassandra replied. "Your smile is nice too." She added feeling a blush erupt in her cheeks.

Professor Slughorn passed them both their class schedules. He had just finished conversing with Barty Crouch. Cassandra was surprised that they hadn't noticed him in their section of the table until now.

"It's good to see you two made it to the Great Hall." Professor Slughorn winked followed by his jolly laugh. "I'll see you both in Potions. I have about 50 more scheduled to give out and breakfast ends in," he checked his watch on his wrist. "Merlin's beard! 10 minutes." He said walking to the next group of students sitting nearby.

Quentin examined his timetable happy to see that he had plenty to free periods. He had done fairly well in his Owl exams last year getting an Outstanding in Herbology, an Exceed Expectations in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions, an A in History of Magic, Charms, Divination and Astronomy, a Poor in Transfiguration and finally a Dreadful in Arithmancy.

Quentin was glad that he only could do for his Newts DADA, Potions and Herbology. He was especially happy to be rid of Arithmancy that was a constant weight on his shoulders since third year when he picked it thinking it would be interesting. It was interesting for the first few weeks until the complexity of the subject shined through leading to mountains of homework and problems that didn't make any sense.

"What are your subjects today?" Cassandra asked glancing up from her schedule.

"I have nothing but free periods until lunch," Quentin said. "Then I have double Defence and Herbology."

"Lucky," Cassandra said. "I have Transfiguration first thing."

"I thought you like Transfig?" Quentin said reaching for more food.

"I like it, just not first thing in the morning," Cassandra said. "Professor McGonagall is most likely going to start the year with a lecture and some note taking which is really hard to stay awake through at nine in the morning. I better get my book."

Cassandra added rising suddenly remembering her bag was in the girl's dormitory.

"I'll come with you," Quentin said following her.

"You don't have to," Cassandra said as she hurried out of the hall.

"I know that," Quentin said catching up with her. "There's nothing else for me to do."

Cassandra quickly climbed the steps to the girl's dormitory and ran into the sixth year dorm. The dorm was vacated of the other girls that she shared it with. It wasn't even 24 hours since they've been back at school and already various clothes and makeup were scattered around the place.

Cassandra grabbed her bag that was lying next to her trunk. Upon zipping it open she found that her quill and ink pots from last year where still inside along with some pieces of spare parchment and her old charms book. She pulled out her charms book from last year and replaced it with her Transfiguration book.

Quentin waited patiently for Cassandra down in the common room leaning against one of the couches playing with his wand making various coloured sparks shower out of the end of it.

"Good morning, Avery." The familiar voice of Mulciber said.

Quentin's eyes flicked up from his wand to see the boys from his dorm descend the stairs.

"What time is it?" Evan Rosier asked rubbing his eyes lazily.

"Almost nine," Quentin said. "Slughorn is in the Great Hall handing out the schedules."

"We're going to miss breakfast." Rookwood a boy from Quentin dorm burst out with a sudden eagerness.

Yaxley another boy who shared the dorm with Quentin nodded quickly and he set off following Rookwood with Mulciber.

"Are you coming, Quentin?" Evan asked when he saw Quentin had made no move to join them.

"No, I'm going to walk Cassie to Transfig," Quentin said. "I'll hang with you guys after that."

Evan grinned mischievously. "Have fun."

And he then left the common room to follow the others, just as Cassandra was descending the stair from the girl dormitory.

"We better hurry," Cassandra said to Quentin when he met her at the bottom of the stairs. "McGonagall hates it when people are late."


	10. Chapter 10

Cassandra strolled from shelf to shelf in the Library running her fingers across the spines of books as she walked. She had just finished her homework and was looking for the perfect book to relax with to end her study evening. It had been a week since school started, her mother had sent her letters asking about her and Quentin, how she was behaving and reminding her how to behave. Cassandra could only roll her eyes at these letters. In all her years at Hogwarts, she didn't receive that many letters from her mother. Only an occasional essay-type letter that informed her of the family's affairs.

Quentin would walk her to her classes even when he had free periods. The thought of this made Cassandra smile. He would talk to her and sometimes link her arm.

Cassandra finally found an interesting book. It was about the formation of a ghost.

She carried it back to her usual spot in the Library, sat down and began reading.

"Cassie?"

Cassandra glanced up to see Quentin sit down in the chair across from her.

"Hey, Quentin." She smiled.

"I knew you'd be here. I haven't seen you for hours."

"It has only been about three." She said.

"Really? It feels like six." Quentin said scratching the back of his neck. "I want to ask you something."

"What?" Cassandra leant forward. "Is this my invite to the slug club?"

Quentin grinned. "I was wondering if you would come along to the quidditch try-outs tomorrow."

"Seriously, Quentin, I can't fly and you know that." She said her eyes moving back towards her book.

"No, not like that. I mean to watch." He laughed. "You can bring your book and I was thinking maybe we could go for a walk afterwards."

"Sure," Cassandra said immediately.

Quentin's eyes brightened. "I'll meet you in the common room after classes then and we can walk there together."

Quentin could see Cassandra's eyes already slipping back to the yellowing pages of the library book in front of her. Today her hair was out of her face in a loose ponytail, Quentin personally preferred her hair down, but either way in his mind she looked pretty.

Quentin stood up from his seat across from her at the Library table and moved to the empty seat next to her.

She looked at him when he sat down next to her. The sudden shift caused a stray lock of hair to fall in front of her face. Finding it annoying without thinking Quentin brushed the hair back behind Cassandra's ear. Cassandra blinked at Quentin as she tried to control the eruption of butterflies in her stomach.

"So, what are you reading?" Quentin asked quickly unsure of how Cassandra was feeling.

"Hmmm… just book about ghost and their formation." She said looking down at the book. "It's just some general reading."

"By general you mean fun?"

"It's what I always do in my spare time."

"So no witch weekly or overdramatic romance novels?" Quentin said in mock horror. "How do you function as a girl in our year?"

Cassandra smiled shyly at Quentin. "Well… maybe the occasional romance novel, but only if it has a good plot and believable characters." Cassandra added. "As for Witch Weekly, they basically print the same thing every month they just change the colour scheme."

Cassandra started absent-mindedly playing with her engagement ring that didn't seem like such a dead weight to her anymore. Every time she looked down at her hand she couldn't help but feel her lips curling into a smile. At first, she had thought the ring was ugly but now it was pretty in her eyes like it had suddenly become more appealing overnight.

Quentin suddenly took her hand with the ring on it making her leave it alone and laced it with his own.

"This why I like you." He said brushing his thumb over the ring.

"What my ring?"

Quentin chuckled. "No, what you said. You say what you think it's different from the other girls."

"Bad kind of different?" Cassandra said turning to face him. She accidentally brushed against his leg sending a jolt through her body.

Quentin shook his head leaning closer to her. "No, it's a good kind of different, but definitely not the only reason I like you."

Cassandra felt suddenly in desperate need of air at that. It was bad enough that she was barely still breathing with Quentin's hand laced with hers.

Quentin bit his tongue at the last part of his sentence. He had not meant to admit that, it had spilt out. Probably because he felt like half of his brain's capacity had disappeared when sitting this close to Cassandra and holding her hand.

"Which type of I like you?" Cassandra whispered to him so quickly and quietly that he barely understood what she had just said.

Cassandra couldn't hold her tongue she had to ask him her curiosity was overwhelming her. She blurted it out. One-half of her hoped that he wouldn't hear her and they could back to the way things were two minutes ago. And the other half of her hoped that he would say he liked her and then kiss her as passionate and softly as she had been dreaming of the last couple of days.

Cassandra's eyes were staring down at the table in thought.

"Cassie…" he began his mouth dry trying to think of the appropriate word.

Her brown eyes looked into his blue eyes. They were wider than he had ever seen them.

He was squeezing her hand bringing it closer to him when a light tapping sound broke his train of thought. It was coming from the window behind Cassandra. Cassandra turned to look behind her to see a sharp looking owl tapping its beak impatiently against the glass of the window with a scroll tied to its leg.

Quentin frowned letting go of Cassandra's hand. He knew the owl was owned by Muciber. Cassandra annoyed unhitched the window latch and with more force than was necessary and pushed the window open so the owl could step in. A nice breeze suddenly came through the window with the owl momentarily replacing the stuffy air in the Library.

The owl hopped in and placed itself in front of Quentin.

"Probably from Muciber." He informed Cassandra. "He's a big fan of annoying me."

Cassandra nodded, annoyed at the horrible timing of the owl. If it had waited five more seconds before it started it's tapping she could've gotten an answer or maybe even the kiss that was constantly haunting her daydreams.

Quentin's eyes narrowed. He quickly took the parchment before the owl had an excuse to nip him but that didn't stop the owl from trying.

Quentin glanced at Cassandra before he unrolled it to make sure that she wasn't about to read it over his shoulder because if Muciber wrote it, it was probably something vial. Cassandra, he could see, was already staring at her book again her brow furrowed.

Quentin unrolled the parchment that said in a messy scrawl:

 _"Avery!_

 _You'll have plenty of time to snog and shag your 'Cassie' later, get over here to the_ trangfi _courtyard some Gryffindorks_ mudbloods _need to be thought a lesson about who to respect. Bring your wand because this is going to be FUN!_

 _M."_

Quentin huffed and crumbled the parchment into a ball.

Quentin took his wand out of his pocket, pointed it at the ball of parchment. Seconds after moving his wand in a flicking motion the ball was engulfed with a flame before completely disappearing.

"That was Muciber. I'm needed for a study thing." Quentin lied standing up. "I'll see you later, Cassie."


	11. Chapter 11

Cassandra's brow furrowed as she tried to keep up with what Professor Strange was saying. The Ancient Runes professor was talking at an alarming speed. Cassandra's quill scratched furiously at her parchment trying to record everything the professor was saying so she could review it later.

Cassandra wasn't particularly fond of Ancient Runes being taught in the classroom, she'd prefer to study it on her own in the peace and quiet of the Library reading at her own pace. That's how she had gotten an Outstanding in the subject through research, going over notes and homework.

Finally, Professor Strange abruptly stopped speaking to fetch a book from the long shelf of books that stretched the length of the classroom. Cassandra gladly took this moment to stretch her fingers that were now sore from gripping her quill.

There was a total of sixteen students in her Ancient Runes class. Ancient Runes wasn't a popular subject. Cassandra was the closest student to the front of the classroom sitting in the second row, the rest of her classmates were in the back row and the row before that. No one was taking notes but her and six Ravenclaws the rest were asleep or doing other activities.

The professor didn't care what they did as long as they didn't interrupt his lectures. In that way, he was a lot like Professor Binns. Cassandra would often wonder if they were friends and spoke about their lectures in the staff room. Her train of thought was interrupted by Professor Strange clearing his throat loudly.

"Now, students, if you will turn to page 567 and there is a very important paragraph depicting…"

Cassandra reached for her book in front of her flipped to page 567. Quentin once again entered her mind. It was starting to feel like she couldn't go a couple of seconds without her mind flashing to him. Even though by now she has probably thought of everything that she could possibly think of him the thoughts never bored her, they just felt better and more interesting every time.

She briefly glanced at the old wooden grandfather clock sitting in the top corner of the classroom slowly ticking. She felt the tips of her mouth curl upwards, five minutes until class ended. After class were Quentin's quidditch tryouts which meant seeing him again.

She hadn't spoken to him properly since their conversation in the Library. Cassandra wanted to know how he felt about her but maybe as she had been repeating to herself over and over when she got too caught up in thinking about him it was too soon. It was only natural since he was the first boy in all her years at Hogwarts to treated so nice and actually want to hang around with her as if she was something interesting and special.

Then the chime of the bell echoed throughout the castle signalling the end of classes. Cassandra jumped at the sound not remembering a word Professor Strange had said over the couple last minutes. The homework had appeared on the blackboard at the touch of the professor's wand as he retreated to his office. Cassandra scribbling down the details of the essay they had to do at the top of her page of notes and began to pack her things into her bag.

She was the last to leave since everyone had anticipated the bell and had bolted out of the classroom the second it had rung.

Cassandra was surprised to see as she came out of the classroom Quentin leaning against the wall outside the classroom door with his broomstick over his shoulder.

"Hi, Quentin." Cassandra greeted surprised. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I had a free period, so I thought I could walk with you from class to the quidditch pitch."

"How did you know I had Ancient Runes?"

"I saw you earlier running into the girl's dorm and running back out again with your Ancient Runes book," Quentin explained beginning to walk. "I knew it was that book because it's always with you and has a lot of notes pouring out of it."

"My notes will either end up in my book or destroyed and forgotten about in the bottom of my bag," Cassandra said taking his arm that he held out for her. It was a habit that they had gotten into every time they walked together. "I've seen your storage method, shoving everything into your pockets."

"And at the end of the day, it all ends up in a drawer beside my bed. Safely hidden away until Newts."

"What about tests before then?"

"Everything important is in the book. Oh, and by the way, I got a letter from your mother."

"What?" Cassandra said in disbelief. " Since when are you two on letter writing terms?"

Cassandra tried not to cringe at her wild imagination's ideas of what her mother could've possibly written.

"She has... I'll show you," Quentin said laughing.

Quentin reached into the pocket of his robes and produced a letter from inside a ripped envelope. Quentin then handed the letter to Cassandra.

Cassandra hesitantly opened the letter.

In her mind, she could hear the words in her mother's shrill voice.

 _"Dear Quentin Avery,_

 _I am writing to you because Cassandra has yet to respond to my letters. I hope she is behaving herself. If she is giving you any problems please write to Mr Nott and I and we shall deal with it swiftly. In any case, I hope that you are having a satisfactory year at Hogwarts. Will you please tell Cassandra to write back to us. I am eagerly waiting for her reply but she can sometimes be forgetful with things like this._

 _Regards,_

 _Magnolia Nott."_

"I hope you're not taking any of this seriously," Cassandra said crinkling her nose at the letter.

Quentin smiled at how cute he thought Cassandra was when she was annoyed.

"Cassie," Quentin teased. "I hope you're taking this serious or I'll have to write an essay to your mother about how badly behaved you've been."

Cassandra smiled. "Then I'll be writing an even longer one to your mother."

Quentin smirked. "Why aren't you writing back to your mother? Is she that painfully annoying all the time."

"She's more than painfully annoying," Cassandra said. "She usually never writes to me at Hogwarts. It's only since me and you are… betrothed that she has started."

"Write to your mother," Quentin said. "Cause I really, really don't want to be receiving regular letters from her."

"Let's stop talking about that," Cassandra said giving Quentin back the letter. "Why do you need to try-out? I thought you were on the team last year."

"Evan wants the best of the best so he's making a new team," Quentin explained.

By now they were getting close to the Quidditch stadium.

"But I remember you saying to me you are the best chaser and have never dropped a quaffle in your life," Cassandra smiled at the memory.

Quentin remembered the night out in the Avery's garden and grinned. It was probably the only good part of the night. "Indeed. So can 100% guarantee you I shall be playing for Slytherin this year."

Cassandra climbed the three sets of stairs that led to the seating in the stands. It was the first time she had been up there she never went to any of the quidditch matches since she had no need to go to them. When the quidditch matches were on the castle was usually at it quietest. The castle usually gave Cassandra the perfect opportunity to explore the castle without being bothered.

Mostly in the stands were Slytherin girls from all years giggling to one another. The stand also had a couple of first year boys looking on envious. Narcissa waved to Cassandra to come join her and her friends.

Cassandra didn't have anywhere else to sit or anyone else to sit with so she joined Narcissa in the front row of the stand. Narcissa was with her usual group of friends Carrietta Bulstrode, Louisa Crabbe and Flora Greengrass.

"Cassandra, come sit with us," Narcissa said to Cassandra. Her group of friend immediately pushed over making room for Cassandra to sit with them.

"Are you here to cheer on Quentin?" Flora asked giggling as if it were some private joke.

"Yeah, he asked me to come," Cassandra said uncertainly.

"Narcissa is here for her Lucius." Informed Louisa who was sitting next to Cassandra.

"He's amazing flyer," Narcissa said her voice full of passion pointing to the familiar long blonde haired boy attempting to do stunts on his broom hovering only to 2 metres off the ground.

The rest of the girls made various noises of an agreement while Cassandra waved her hand in front of her face attempting to cool down. The warm air made her annoyingly hot clearly the summer climate had not left yet.

From her seat, she could the entire stadium. She could see Quentin standing next to Evan Rosier leaning against his broomstick helping him order the second year students that had shown up tryouts and were basically at lost to do nothing but bounce on the spot with excitement.

Quentin caught Cassandra looking at him and waved to her. Cassandra automatically smiled and waved back.

A chorus of awws erupted from the Narcissa and her friends.

"He's really sweet to you," Narcissa said with a smile.

Cassandra felt her cheeks fill with colour as the unwanted thought of him touching her hand graced her mind. "Quentin's nice." Was all she managed to say.

Cassandra was grateful when a couple of seconds later their attentions turned back to the judging the rest of the boys that turned up. They based their judgments on the boy's look, muscles and heritage. Cassandra left out an impatient sigh. "What's taking so long?" she thought.

Quentin could feel his heart flutter when he saw Cassandra's smile in the stands. Quentin could just about make out from his spot on the quidditch pitch Cassandra starting to play with her ring.

Quentin turned his attention hastily away from Cassandra when he heard Evan clear his throat and shout,

"Everyone, shut up!"

Quentin smirked only half of the students turned and quieten down the other half mainly consisting of the likes of Mucibler, Barty and Malfoy pretended not to hear Evan.

Evan cursed and pulled out his wand muttering an incantation. His wand shot a beam of light into the air. A bright flash followed by a deafening bang followed. A couple of people gasped in the stands and all eyes turned to Evan.

'Finally, something's happening.' Cassandra thought, edging forward in her seat.

Anyone who was up in the air on their brooms returned to the ground and huddled to together with everyone else.

"Okay, I not going to make a big speech or anything," Evan said in a loud voice. "I'm hunting for the best players Slytherin has to offer this year. No whining, crying or bribes."

"The rules are the same as every year," Evan continued. "No first years or no girls on my team. No one is allowed to use the beaters bats but the beaters unless I say different. No wands, no fireworks, no weapons muggle or wizard, hitting in personal areas, potions, dungbombs or anything else like that." Then Evan added. "These are the tryouts save them for the actual matches."

A round of cheering followed.

Evan smirked satisfied and mounted his broom. "Chasers are up first!" he ordered flying about a 100 metres into the air to get a good bird's eye view of the pitch.

Quentin mounted his broom and followed the other potential chasers into the air. Quentin couldn't help but grin at the sudden rush of freedom that took over him like a bird in a flight all of his problems were left on the ground.

He had been dying for quidditch since the last match of his fifth year. Every day of the summer he practised as he usually did but it was nothing like being with the team. It was faster, more fun and sharper when he was playing with the team. During his summer holidays, he had no one to play with. Mr Avery, despite his rough buffy build, wasn't as interested in quidditch as he had been in his teen years hence he left Quentin to his own devices when it came to the sport.

The chasers assembled into a rough circle all the boys stared eagerly downwards where a brown leather chest of quidditch balls sat in the grass. Quentin loosened his grip on his broom readying to grab the quaffle. He saw a couple of younger student make the mistake of tightening their grasp.

Evan was the team captain, therefore, he kept his position as the keeper. The hoops were being guarded today by Evan's old keeper competition so Evan could focus on the players from his bird's eye view of the stadium.

"Wilkes!" Evan called out to Wilkes who was sitting on the grass at the side of the pitch tucking into a pile of chocolate frogs.

Upon hearing his name the fourth year boy perked up at the sound, stood up and started running over to the chest of balls in the centre of the pitch. After opening the box he took out the leather red quaffle and held it in both hands. Then with all the strength, he could muster he threw the ball up in the air.

The second the quaffle hit broom level, the chasers entered a mad shuffle to get the quaffle. Wilkes ducked his head nervously at the sight and started moving back to his spot at the edge of the pitch.

Cassandra winced at the vicious squabble to get the ball. She hadn't seen much quidditch, the only experience of quidditch she had was when she was younger before she came to Hogwarts. When her father was in a good mood he would invite her into his study to listen to the matches on the wireless wizard radio he owned. Mr Nott would sit her on his lap and explain what was happening in the match and answer her persistent questions. When he was in an even better mood he would share his Slytherin quidditch team stories, glorifying the team defeating Gryffindor. Cassandra would listen transfixed until Mrs Nott came to find her. Mrs Nott would stick her head through the doorframe, her lips thin with disapprovable. She'd shake her head every time and say, "Greyson, Cassandra is a young lady she does not need to hear about vulgar sports."

He would then sigh and lift her down off his lap and tell her to go with her mother. Cassandra quickly learnt not to protest since it only made her parents angry and pulled her even further away from what she wanted.

Quentin swooped quickly in and out between player getting the quaffle in his grasp within seconds and scoring. Cassandra couldn't help but beam and clap every time he scored. Cassandra also couldn't help thinking about how attractive he looked on his broom. He looked, to her, better than the quidditch stars she had seen in magazines that girls in her dorm would crush on.

"He's brilliant!" Cassandra called out to the group next to her.

After several minutes of this, Evan yelled out from his hawk-like position high above the pitch.

"Bring in the beaters!"

This prompted Wilkes to once again run across the pitch to the chest of quidditch balls. He unstrapped the bludgers, that were vibrating with irritation to get out. The nervous boy released both at the same time causing him to fall backwards with the sudden swoop of them being released.

Cassandra could see that this was a ridiculous tactic. The pitch quickly turned into a circus, there were far too many boys trying out for beaters. There were about twelve beaters and seven chasers.

The beaters quickly rushed for the bludgers swinging their bats in every direction in the hopes of hitting it.

Quentin's face became strained with concentration but to Cassandra, he still making it look easy. He'd swerve before the bludger could come anywhere near him, it didn't disturb his scoring.

Several chasers were knocked off their brooms by the bludgers or in some cases the beaters bat. And several of the beaters were knock off their brooms by the same means.

After several minutes of watching this, Evan shouted out,

"Bring in the seekers."

Wilkes ran out to the centre of the pitch and released the golden snitch from the chest. It was so small that Cassandra only saw small gold flashes of it when it hit the light.

Lucius Malfoy and another boy, who Cassandra did not know, both kicked off their brooms from the ground and chased after the snitch that was already out of their line of sight.

Narcissa cheered loudly for Lucius as he ran rings around the chasers looking for the snitch. The other girls joined in clapping. But Cassandra's attention turned back to Quentin his forehead was shining with sweat but he wasn't slowing down. Every now and then when he made a spectacular steal or score Cassandra could've sworn he had given her a grin.

The Slytherin quidditch tryouts were out of control and almost unwatchable Cassandra would've probably gone back up to the castle if it wasn't for Quentin.

But finally, the tryouts ended with Lucius catching the snitch and the other potential seeker crashing into two beaters.

Quentin, out of breath, lowered his broom to the ground with the other players to meet Evan who was standing there waiting for everyone to crowd in front of him.

"Once again the results will be given tonight," Evan said before being bombarded with questions from eager players.

Quentin turned to see Cassandra walking across the pitch towards him a light breeze blowing her hair out of her face.


	12. Chapter 12

Cassandra walked over to Quentin who was leaning effortlessly against his broom watching her with a grin on his face.

"Are you on the team?" Cassandra asked when she was standing in front of him.

"Evan is going to tell us the results in the common room tonight," Quentin said still panting from quidditch. "What did you think of that? Didn't drop the quaffle once or miss."

"You were brilliant," Cassandra complimented. "You were the best chaser out there."

Quentin looking surprised by her words, beamed. "Well, I couldn't have done without you cheering in the stands."

Then Quentin glanced the around them, nobody was paying attention to them.

Quentin suddenly turned to her taking her hand. "Come on."

With her hand in his clasp, he led her away from the gathering of people on the quidditch pitch.

"Quentin, where are we going?"

"I want to show you something."

"And what is that something?" Cassandra asked tugging his arm.

"Something that hopefully, you'll like." He said pulling her out of sight with him behind a clump of forestry once they had step outside the quidditch pitch.

"How do you feel about flying?" Quentin asked pulling her closer to him.

"What type of flying?"

"On a broomstick."

"It's okay," Cassandra shrugged. "I only flew in first year because of our flying lessons."

Quentin grinned and placed his broomstick so it hovered in the air ready to be mounted.

Cassandra seeing what he was getting at said simply, "As long as we don't go too high or fast."

"That was a lot easier than I expected," Quentin said raising an eyebrow. "I wasn't sure if you were a prissy girl who hates brooms."

"As you can see I'm not prissy," Cassandra said allowing Quentin to help her up onto the broom.

Quentin jumped on the broom after Cassandra sitting behind her. Cassandra felt tingles run up her back as he pushed himself right up against her back.

Quentin took advantage of their position. He leant so his head was almost resting on her shoulder.

Cassandra gripped the handle of the broomstick, her cheeks filled with colour when Quentin cupped his hands over hers adjusting them to the correct position. Chills started to run down Cassandra's spine as Quentin gently moved her slender pale fingers into correct position. His hands were soft immediately warming her cold ones on touch. Cassandra couldn't help but feel safe with Quentin this close to her but at the same time intensely hot.

Quentin felt almost breathless when the smell of Cassandra's hair hit his nose he could smell her fresh flowery shampoo. He had quickly decided that it was now his new favourite smell.

Quentin kept one of his hands cupped over Cassandra's and feeling brave he placed the other across where her rib cage ended. Bringing them even closer together. Quentin could feel Cassandra take a sharp intake of breath at his touch, before relaxing and leaning back into him. Quentin wasn't sure if this was a good sign or not. He was worried that the sharp intake of breath could be a sign that she was uncomfortable or about to push him away.

"Sorry," Quentin said quickly. "I don't want you to fall." Which was a half of the truth, Quentin knew that Cassandra would be safe enough without holding her to him.

Cassandra could feel her cheeks heat up at the prickle of his warm breath on the nape of her neck. She kept looking straight ahead worried that if she turned to look at him she'd lose control of breathing like when he unexpectedly touched her moments ago.

"It's okay," Cassandra replied coolly before he could take his hand away.

Quentin nudged the handle of the broomstick up making it hover a few more feet off the ground. Quentin desperately tried not to think about Cassandra and how close she was to him. It was making all the dreams he's been having the last couple of days pop into his mind. Every time he'd see her images came involuntarily into his mind. Most nights, he would wake up in the middle of the night panting and sweaty. He cursed and tried to stop thinking about her during the day and before he went to bed. But that didn't work, his dreams only seemed to get clearer and more detailed.

The idea to take her up on his broomstick came from a dream he had several nights before the dreams had gotten more explicated. He dreamed they were high above the grounds of Hogwarts. Cassandra, smiling widely at him, turned around to face him and cupped his cheek. Then she was kissing him hard on the mouth with lust.

Quentin wouldn't have minded to relive it like it was in his dream but he had something else in mind. The dream had given him a similar idea.

Cassandra started to feel dizzy as she stared straight down at the ground that they were now several hundred feet above. The only flying experience she had was the flying lesson in first year. The school brooms were old and slow, she had only gone as high as the top of the courtyard wall on one of them.

"Don't look down," Quentin told her. "Keep your eyes on the horizon."

Cassandra did as he said feeling more comfortable with her eyes away from the ground.

"Don't grip your hands so tightly on the broom or you'll get really uncomfortable after a couple of minutes," Quentin said rubbing his hand against hers trying to get her hands to relax. "Tell me if I'm going too fast."

And without another word, he urged the broom forwards. Quentin kept the pace of the broom steady not too fast or too slow. The view from the broom was spectacular. Quentin flew over the Forbidden Forest and Black Lake.

Cassandra could feel giggles rising in the back of her throat as the wind whipped through her hair.

Quentin pulled the broom lower down as they were flying over the Black Lake so that were close enough to the water to make out their reflections in the surface of the lake.

"Cassie!" Quentin announced loudly so she could hear him over the rushing wind. "Will you go to the Slug Club with me?"

Cassandra suddenly released the giggles that were building up in her throat and responded to his question grinning madly. "Yes!"

Quentin felt his heart skip a beat at her answer. He turned the broomstick left towards a spot at the edge of the Black Lake that couldn't be seen from the castle.

They flew to a stop in a heavily wooded area on the shore of the Black Lake. Quentin slid effortlessly off the broom helping Cassandra down after him. Cassandra felt suddenly cold without his presence behind her. She gratefully took his hand as he wrapped his other arm around her waist making sure she didn't fall as she got off the broom. The area the was surrounded by woodland and shaded making it hard to see from the castle. Not many people ventured out there since it was also a long walk from the castle and so well hidden that a lot of the school's population didn't know about it. Quentin remembered it from a time in fifth year after his final OWL exam he decided to let off some steam and fly around the castle.

"I wasn't expecting that," Cassandra said still holding his hand.

"Which the flying or the Slug Club invite?" Quentin asked leading her towards the closest tree only a couple of steps away.

"Both." Cassandra smiled taking a seat with Quentin under the tree.

There was a long moment of silence. Quentin was looking at Cassandra and she was looking right back at him.

They sitting very close to each other their legs almost touching. The only sound that could be heard was the tranquil movement of the water in the Black Lake. Quentin and Cassandra's hands were still laced together on the ground in between them.

Quentin suddenly felt his mouth go dry and his heart speed up as he looked from Cassandra brown eyes to her heart shaped pink lips.

Cassandra could feel herself breathe deeper than she already had been. Her hand felt too good laced with his, so good that her insides started to burn with the desire for more.

A hundred thought flashed to Cassandra's head at once. Her eyes slipped down to his lips, she wanted to kiss. She felt herself lean forward a fraction of an inch then stop. The thought that he may not like her in that way, he may reject her or laugh at her all hit her. But she still wanted to do it. She had never kissed anyone before and she was suddenly afraid that she would mess up or not know what to do. But quickly and spontaneously she thought up an idea. She could kiss his cheek that way if he didn't like her she could just say she was saying thanks. And if he liked it he could continue it into an actual kiss. Butterflies erupted in Cassandra's stomach but before she could think any more about it, her lips were already planted on his cheek.

It lasted for what felt like minutes before she pulled back from him her eyes drawn to the ground.

Quentin was stunned at first and then breathless. As Cassandra pulled away he desperately wanted to pull her back.

Cassandra's face felt warm and when she looked up at Quentin she could see his cheeks flush with colour.

Quentin gathering all the courage he could he admitted, "I really, really like you." And he leant over to her and kissed her on the cheek.

Cassandra closed her eyes as she felt his warm lips on her cheek. Her hand broke free of Quentin's hand and ran up Quentin's arm to his shoulder for balance.

When he stopped Cassandra said, "I do too." And she leant into him to kiss his cheek again but accidentally kissed him on the lips when Quentin was going in to kiss her cheek again.

The moment their lips collided all Cassandra's fears went away. At first, she was a bit taken back and numbly sat there while Quentin kissed her. Then when the desire couldn't be contained any longer she kissed him back before they pulled apart for air. Quentin rested his forehead on Cassandra's and pulled her closer to him. For both of them, it was better that any dream or fantasy they had. In that moment, it felt like there was nothing else in the world, nothing else existed.

Quentin brought his hand up to Cassandra's face and brushed her soft skin. Cassandra felt as light as a feather, she couldn't believe this was happening. Quentin slowly captured her mouth with his again.

He kissed her more passionately and faster than their first. Cassandra leant closer to Quentin deepening the kiss, both of her hands were placed on the back of his neck urging him on.

Quentin kissed Cassandra like he was telling her everything he had felt for her and thought of her.

After what felt like hours they reluctantly came to a stop. They both separated and leant back against the tree trying to bring their breathing back to normal pace. Cassandra's lips felt swollen and numb from snogging Quentin, but it didn't annoy her she like it, it was like a throbbing reminder that it had actually happened and it felt like a proud mark on her face. It was thrilling, Cassandra had never experienced something like it.

Quentin turned to Cassandra wanting her to say something, anything. Quentin knew it was up to him to fill the silence, with his head still dizzy from kissing her he said,

"You're a really good kisser."

Cassandra pushed her hair out of her face and turned to look at him. "You're an even better one."

Cassandra beamed up at him reaching for his hand again. Quentin gave Cassandra's hand reassuring squeeze as she relaxed against him and placed her head his shoulder.

"What time is it?" Cassandra asked looking at the sun dying in the horizon in front of them.

Quentin lifted his wrist to check his watch. "An hour after dinner," replied Quentin carelessly.

"We should get back," Cassandra said but in truth, she had no intention of moving.

Quentin kissed the top of her head and said, "We can nick stuff from the kitchen later."

Cassandra moved her head deeper into the crook of his neck. Cassandra wanted to be like this with Quentin forever.


	13. Chapter 13

With Quentin's hand intertwined with Cassandra's, they walked down a set of stone stairs leading to the basement.

"I'm absolutely starving!" He said to her as they approached a colourful portrait of a fruit bowl.

"Me, too." Cassandra agreed laughing at Quentin's exasperation.

Quentin tickled the single green pear in the silver fruit bowl. At first, it did nothing, after a couple of seconds it started to squirm, before finally bursting out in laughter. The pear had transformed itself into a green doorknob. Quentin turned the doorknob and pushed open the portrait that now functioned as a door. Through the doorway, a room about the same size as the Great Hall above it could be seen.

Quentin stepped through the entry way with Cassandra following. The room had five long tables in it, the tables were aligned exactly like in the Great Hall. The large room was filled with house elves bustling around it. The clicking of bronze pots and pans could be heard over the chatter of their squeaky voices. The room was warm, it was heated up by the fire in the large fireplace at the opposite end of the room.

Quentin had been down in the kitchen many times before. The house elves knew him well. Three house elves quickly hurried over to the pair with several dishes in their hands extended towards Quentin and Cassandra.

The house elves curtseyed and greeted them. "Good evening, Master Avery and Master Avery's friend. What will Master Avery and Master Avery's friend be having today?"

Quentin bit his lip unsure whether to correct the house elves calling Cassandra his 'friend'. He turned to Cassandra who wasn't paying attention. She was looking around the room.

"This is Cassie." Quentin introduced pointing to Cassandra. "If you'll give us some of today's dinner. That would be fine."

The house elves nodded eagerly and went to get the food.

"Do you come down here a lot?" Cassandra asked as she followed him to a table by the fire.

"Yeah," Quentin said pulling out a chair for Cassandra to sit down. "Nearly every second day."

"Thanks, but you don't have to do that," Cassandra said taking a seat. "Our annoying parents aren't around."

Quentin laughed. "If I didn't use my table manners my mother would probably sense it and send me a howler."

The house elves brought over two plates and several platters of food. They put the food down on their table before retreating back to their work.

Cassandra smiled sadly at them and said to Quentin. "Seeing all these house elves makes me miss Ursula."

"Who's that?" Quentin asked putting some food on his plate.

"My house elf," Cassandra said forgetting that she'd never told Quentin about her. "She's kind and she listens."

"Lucky," Quentin said. "The house elves at my house are grumpy and old. My parents always force them not to speak, unless they are told what to say."

"That's terrible," Cassandra said sympathetically.

Quentin quickly changed the subject. "The Slug Club dinner will be in a week. I don't think you have been to one, have you?"

"No," Cassandra said swallowing her food. "Is it as bad as I'm expecting it to be?"

Quentin smiled. "If I tell you, you'll never go there with me."

That evening in the common room Cassandra was sitting at one of the study desks writing a letter to her mother. She was chewing on the end of her quill in thought. The only reason she was writing to her mother was because she needed a dress for the Slug Club dinner. Cassandra had brought no formal dresses with her to Hogwarts since she never needed one until now. Knowing her mother she would go out and buy a flashy new expensive dress. Mrs Nott constantly told Cassandra to always write to her at least a week before events like these so she could purchase the most dazzling dress she could get her hands on.

It was nine o'clock in the common room. Nearly every Slytherin was in the common room playing games or doing homework.

Before they had gone into the common room Quentin kissed her again outside the portrait hole. And when he pulled away he rather awkwardly asked her if she wanted to him to show her affection in front of other people.

Cassandra felt embarrassed at this question. She was unsure of whether she wanted him snogging her in front of a room full of people.

"Not too much," Cassandra answered equally as awkward.

Cassandra felt her lips curl into a smile as she watched Quentin from her spot at the desk playing Exploding Snap with his friends in front of the fire.

Dear Mother, Cassandra wrote.

I am sorry that I haven't been responding to your letters recently. I have been busy with my studies. Anyhow, Quentin has invited me to come with him to Professor Slughorn's party. For this occasion, I'll need a dress. A simple dress that is not too long or puffy. I hope you can send me one at your earliest convenience.

Please don't write to Quentin there is no need to do so.

Cassandra.

Cassandra then reread the letter making sure it sounded right. She then put it into her bag to be mailed tomorrow.

Quentin was just about to win another game of Exploding Snap against Wilkes when Evan marched down from the boy's dorm. Evan stood in front of the group of boys with an all important list in his hand.

He cleared his throat and called for attention. Half of the common room stopped their activities to listen, a few people gathered around to hear the results.

"I have in this hand," he indicated to the parchment in his hand. "The results of today's quidditch try-outs. After much thought and debate, I have finally what feels like a winning team."

"Without further or due the beaters are Mulciber-

"YES!" Mulciber yelled out.

"And Goyle."

A couple of people cheered until Evan called for silence once more. Cassandra watched from her place with half interest waiting for the chasers to be called out.

"The seeker is Malfoy."

A couple of people clapped and patted Malfoy on the back. Narcissa ran over to Lucius Malfoy and hugged him. The embrace was followed by a chorus of awws from Narcissa's friends. Cassandra wondered was she expected to run over to Quentin. To kiss him or hug him or both. Cassandra fiddled with her ring nervously thinking of all the times she had seen quidditch players lift their girlfriends up in the air or kiss them when something good happened in quidditch.

Then Cassandra remembered that Quentin never said she was his girlfriend. They were betrothed but that was a different status.

"The Keeper is me." Evan continued. "The chasers are Yaxley, Flint and Avery. That is the team, it is final!"

Most people in the common room cheered or clapped. Cassandra joined in with the clapping and smiled at Quentin unsure of what to do.

Quentin went over to her after high-fiving some of his teammates. He slid into the chair next to her and kissed her on the cheek. Cassandra felt a flush of colour rush to her cheeks as well as a smile.

"I knew you would get it," Cassandra said leaning closer into Quentin.

She wasn't preparing to kiss him she just liked being close to him.

Quentin laughed and said, "Only because you were there."

Quentin brought his hand up to her face cupping it. He pushed a few stray hairs back behind her ear with his thumb. Cassandra looked at him thoughtfully admiring his blue eyes, they seemed to sparkle in the candle light.

Quentin took away his hand knowing that if he stared at her any longer he would probably lose his control and try to make out with her again. The common room suddenly felt too enclosed, too trapping. All he wanted was to find a private corner and snog Cassandra for hours without being disturbed. Everything about the Slytherin common room felt too public even though nobody's attention was on them. He briefly wondered if Cassandra would come up to his dorm with him so they could have some privacy but he quickly dismissed the idea. He thought it was too bash and sudden. Cassandra would probably think that he wanted to do more than snog and become uncomfortable and leave.

"I wrote a letter to my mother," Cassandra said getting Quentin's attention.

"Looks like I don't have to write to her about how bad you've been after all," Quentin said giving her a flirty smile.

Cassandra giggled nervously remembering Quentin kissing her under the tree at the shore of the Black Lake just hours before. Just the thought of his soft lips and his tongue exploring her mouth made her hands clammy.

"You've been just as bad," Cassandra said adverting her eyes from Quentin's lips. "I told my mother to send me a dress for the Slug Club."

"You would be pretty without a dress," Quentin said not realising what his words sounded like out loud until they left his mouth and Cassandra went scarlet in the face.

"Sorry." Quentin quickly tried to amend what he had said. He suddenly felt too hot. "I didn't mean it like… that. It just came out wrong."

"It's okay," Cassandra said feeling less embarrassed. She felt shocked, embarrassed, dumbfounded all at once but there was a small part of her that felt surprisingly complimented.

"Do you want to play Wizard's Chess or something?" Quentin asked nervously scratching the back of his neck trying to break the sudden awkwardness.

"Sure," Cassandra replied giving him a small smile.

They played Wizard's Chess for a while to pass the time. They chatted while playing it. Cassandra had to admit it was easier to talk to Quentin with a chess board in between them.

After their fourth game, Cassandra glanced up at one of the grandfather clocks in the Slytherin common room. It was 12:45. Cassandra hadn't noticed that most of the people in the common room had gone to their dorms. There were only a couple of sixth and seventh years left in the common room.

Cassandra yawned and said. "I think I'll go up to bed now."

Quentin grinned. "So I won?"

"No," Cassandra laughed. "I won two games and you won two games so it's a draw."

"But I still get a prize," Quentin said suggestively. "And you do too."

Cassandra edged nearer to him pretending to not know where he was going with this.

"What do you think it should be?" Cassandra asked a smile spreading across her face.

Quentin leant in towards her so his forehead was resting on hers.

"A kiss." He whispered to her.

Cassandra pecked his lips and pulled away.

"Goodnight, Quentin." She said leaning towards him again and planting a kiss next to his mouth.

"Goodnight, Cassie." Quentin grinned as she pulled away from him to go up to the girl's dormitories.


End file.
